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Changing Strings - What do you do and why?

chadhargis

chadhargis

Jack of all grooves, master of none
Supporting Member
Jan 5, 2010
3,941
5,377
Nashville, TN
#1
I've seen two schools of thought on this. Some say do one at a time, yet I've see countless videos of luthiers removing all the strings, cleaning the neck, and restringing. I've seen people say, "use 0000 steel wool to clean the fretboard" which would be damn hard with strings on.

What do you guys do?
 
#6
So, again, two schools of thought.

Is there any harm in removing all the strings versus changing one at a time?

I understand that doing one at a time maintains tension on the neck, but removing them all gives you unfettered access to the fretboard to give it a good cleaning and wipe down.

I just want to make sure I don't foul something up that will require a trip to a luthier and money out of my wallet.
 
#10
I always take them all off and then replace them all. Having them all off gives you the chance to wipe down the fb and also wipe any funk off that is on the body under the strings or around the pickups.

One tip:

Make note of the number of windings on the pegs of your strings before you remove them. The string should wind top to bottom down to the bottom of the peg -- but not overlap.

Like this ("borrowed" pic from Vic) :

Warrior_Nitti_08.jpg


So when looking at the old strings, if they are correct you can use them as a guide for your new strings by lining up the ball ends and then clipping them to the same length. If the old install was short or overlapped, adjust accordingly by clipping a little longer or a little shorter.

After a couple of re-strings, you will always have a perfect template to make sure your strings wind perfectly on the pegs.
 
#11
I don't change strings often on my basses, so when I do I usually remove all of the strings and wipe down the neck and headstock as well as the area under the strings. I do the 0000 steel wool thing once a year at most.

If I'm trying different sets of strings and they're coming on and off the bass fairly frequently I'll do one at a time as I change them all and skip the wiping down part.
 
#13
I have no idea where the myth of never removing all the strings came from, but it is hooey. It is simply not an issue.

On double bass, as it is with all violin/viol family instruments, you remove and re-string one at a time, but this is only to keep the tension on the bridge and top. Otherwise you may alter your bridge placement or the sound post can fall, which put simply, sucks if that happens.
 
#14
Do you want some kind of guarantee?
Click to expand...

There are no guarantees in life, but being a rank newbie, I am wanting to make an informed decision about what I do.

I have one bass, and that's really all I can afford now. If I hose it up, then I have nothing to practice on. I believe knowing your instrument and experimenting with it will make you a better player. That's why I want to set it up myself.

I've read how to adjust the truss rod, how to set the string height, and how to intonate. I have the right tools to do it.

I just want to be sure that I don't do something that is going to seriously damage my bass and cause me to either have to pay money to have it fixed or buy a new bass.

Mine is a neck through design, so if I ruin the neck, there is no bolting on a new one. I'm pretty well screwed.

As for removing all the strings, if I do so, it will only be long enough to clean the bass and put new strings on. I'm going to have to adjust everything anyway, so if the relief gets a little futzed up, I'm armed with a micrometer and a hex wrench...I'll make it tip top again.

I'm simply a VERY rank newbie at all of this and want to gain as much knowledge as I can. This site has taught me lots of things so far. I appreciate all the input.

Thanks everyone!!
 
#16
Yep...so another feather in the cap of remove them all.

As a newbie, I'll be trying different strings so I can find the set that I really, really like. I don't imagine I'll put on the same type strings over the next several sets.
 
#18
chadhargis said:
There are no guarantees in life, but being a rank newbie, I am wanting to make an informed decision about what I do.

I have one bass, and that's really all I can afford now. If I hose it up, then I have nothing to practice on. I believe knowing your instrument and experimenting with it will make you a better player. That's why I want to set it up myself.

I've read how to adjust the truss rod, how to set the string height, and how to intonate. I have the right tools to do it.

I just want to be sure that I don't do something that is going to seriously damage my bass and cause me to either have to pay money to have it fixed or buy a new bass.

Mine is a neck through design, so if I ruin the neck, there is no bolting on a new one. I'm pretty well screwed.

As for removing all the strings, if I do so, it will only be long enough to clean the bass and put new strings on. I'm going to have to adjust everything anyway, so if the relief gets a little futzed up, I'm armed with a micrometer and a hex wrench...I'll make it tip top again.

I'm simply a VERY rank newbie at all of this and want to gain as much knowledge as I can. This site has taught me lots of things so far. I appreciate all the input.

Thanks everyone!!
Click to expand...

Pull the strings or not. If you are new to this, do both and figure out what you like. Or when to do which.

As far as doing harm to your guitar, there is no reason to obsess. Guitar necks are pretty bullet proof when it comes to setups. The only thing that will seriously harm a neck is breaking the truss rod. Many truss rod nuts are made brass so that eliminates the problem for some of the ham-fisted. The rest will have to listen.

There is only one caveat: When turning a truss rod nut, if it squeaks, stop.*

Everything else can be adjusted up, down, over, out, left, right, inside, and outside ad infinitum, til the cows come home, or the sun ceases to shine, whichever occurs last, without any harm being done to the neck.

*If you do not know the sound of metal squeaking against metal when it has had too much torque applied, go play with the lug nuts on your car for a few minutes. Failing that, take your guitar to a pro.
 
#19
Depends on how often I'm changing them. When (if) I ever change strings on the Precision, which has had the same set of flats for a good three years or more, I'll take them all off an clean the fingerboard and the body really well. When I'm gigging regularly and changing strings every two months or so, I only change one at a time.

That's only because keeping the neck tension pretty stable allows the string to settle in and the whole instrument to stay in adjustment more easily. Lately once a year when I restring I'll take all the strings off for a thorough cleaning, but not for routine string changes.

If you're going to have the strings off for a few days, I'd adjust the truss rod, but for the time it takes to clean and restring, the wood will be OK.

John
 

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